First Game in the Books

By: Cesar | September 1st, 2008

As first games go, this is about as good as you can get.

Valencia crushed Real Mallorca 3-0 at the Mestalla on Saturday night in the opening match of the new season. If you compare this to last season’s shenanigans, a 3-0 defeat to Villarreal, we’re doing ok.

The Basque Kevin Costner Unai Emery (I hear Gol TV used that line in their game commentary? They’re reading the blog!!) has this team playing like a solid unit, using one-touch passing and slick ball movement to confound the opponent.

Kudos to the squad for lifting their heads off the mat after the embarrassing loss to 9-man Real Madrid in last week’s Super Cup.

Tidbits:

- David Villa looks a man possessed. He was everywhere. Rumors persisted (in Real Madrid trash rag MARCA as well as Real Madrid English language lovers goal.com) that Los Merengues were to make a late push for El Guaje, but we all know that’s rubbish.

Villa is fundamentally solid with the ball and extremely deceptive. The guy’s in his prime and a certifiable football superstar. Enjoy him while he’s here. He’s the Real Deal.

- Villa’s counterpart David Silva was a beast in his own right. The guy’s like a ninja, fluid with the ball at his feet, calm and collected. A joy to behold. And he plays for us! How’d this happen??

Great pass to Pablo that set up Villa for the first goal. Wonderful all-around play. Just a sick player to behold right now.

- Surprise by Emery in selecting the newly purchased Renan to start in goal over shaky incumbent Timo Hildebrand. I understand the logic behind it. Emery wants to light a spark under the German giant’s buttocks. Still, a bold move. Renan just arrived from the Olympic Games in China, practiced once and was thrust onto the Mestalla scene. He played adequately but wasn’t really tested all that often.

“I thought about it before the game and it was a difficult decision to make. It is necessary to motivate him (Hildebrand) to work because the season is long and everyone will have a chance each week.
It is logical that he is annoyed. But we have 23 players and only 11 can play,” Emery explained.

So there you go …

What did Renan think? “On the Saturday morning, before the game, the coach asked me if I was ready to play and I told him that I was. After the game he congratulated me,” the keeper told reporters.

“I felt at home, that is all I can say, because it is difficult to have any other impression after playing just one game. Fortunately everything turned out well. I am happy with the way that I played and with the team’s performance.”

So are we.

- Miguel is like the Energizer bunny, no? He’s everywhere.

- Albiol and Alexis looked decent in the middle. But again, were Valencia really tested in this area most of the evening?

- I liked the energy Manuel Fernandes showed upon his arrival in the 20th minute. If this kid gets some minutes under his belt, the little rust he exhibited will shed away. I think he could be a force in the Valencia midfield.

- I’m liking how Vicente is turning into the super sub of this team. We all know how brittle the native Valencian player is. So maybe if he only gets 20 minutes a game, he can set up a few goals, score a few goals and rev up the home crowd. I truly love this guy and only wish him the best.

- Unai Emery seemed pleased after the game.

“Mallorca started better but I think that the first goal was crucial for us,” Emery said in the post-match conference, while studying scripts for his next movie.

“We improved in the second half and we were superior to our rivals. We played much better and we deserved the win,” he added.

- Next up? Unai’s ex-club Almeria in 2 weeks time. Spain plays a World Cup qualifier in that period, so expect the team to still be in tip-top shape considering the national team is filled with Valencia players.

To view the goals and the best moments of the Real Mallorca match, please click here here here. You won’t be disappointed, save with the fact there’s no audio. Honestly, isn’t the Valencia web site the absolute pits?

In other news:

- The transfer deadline ends tonight at 6pm New York time. No word yet on whether we’ll buy anyone. Milito? Huntelaar? Who knows? Oh! Did you hear Real Madrid want David Villa??

- We have one new player. His name is Nacho Gonzalez and he’s a Uruguayan midfielder. Before you can sneeze the word ‘Nacho’ out, he’s off on loan to Newcastle United. See you soon.

- So Joaquin has decided to stay with us. Apparently, a big European club, some say it was Tottenham, some say it was Inter Milan, approached the goofy-grinned Andalusian with an offer.

But the former Betis man, who breast-fed until the age of 7 (”My Mum breast fed me until I was six or seven. The doctor says that’s why I’m so strong”) decided to stay with us and fight for his place.

I never wanted Pisha to leave. I’m glad he’s staying. I just hope he doesn’t get frustrated and press too much, as he did last season. He’s as talented a winger as there is in Spain. All he needs is to put it all together.

- I’m as big a Phil Ball fan as you’ll find. The ESPN Soccernet.com Spanish scribe gives his assessment of the coming Valencia season and the week that was in Spain.

Valencia hammered Mallorca 3-0 to dispel some of the gloom that was still around in the summer, but at the time of writing Real Madrid were still insisting that they would attempt to sign David Villa before the Monday close of business. It makes you wonder why they didn’t simply begin the process post-Euro 2008, instead of flirting so ridiculously with Cristiano Ronaldo, but there you go. Villa and Silva are still at the Mestalla, Albelda is back, as is Angulo, and their young manager Unai Emery is clearly a bit of a star, but there are still boardroom disputes to settle, an unclear new stadium project and the weight of last season’s traumatic events still hovering in the air. This season should be less disastrous (it would be difficult to surpass last season’s collective farce) but a serious challenge in the league looks unlikely.

We’ll agree to disagree on that last part.

And the Guardian’s Sid Lowe? What do you think?

And then, as fate-tempting tradition dictates, there is Valencia. New coach Unai Emery has already worked under two presidents and three sporting directors since taking over, the club still has two stadiums - one it can’t sell and one it can’t build, and that self-destruct button is still there whispering: “Go on, press me, I dare you. You know you want to.” But with Juan Soler properly gone this time, the civil war should be over - and if ever there was a guarantee of success it’s the departure of the man with the ruddy cheeks and tache.

Couldn’t have said it better myself.

Three more notes:

- Condolences to the family of Valencia legend Manolo Mestre, who died this weekend aged 73. Mestre was our captain and coach and played 14 seasons with Los Che.

- Watched the Liverpool-Aston Villa match yesterday morning and it was a veritable Valencia reunion at Villa Park. Fabio Aurelio and John Carew walked off arm in arm after the game, surely chatting about old times. Rafa Benitez was there as was his new assistant coach Mauricio Pellegrino.

All we needed was Gaiza Mendieta and we could have fielded a full reunion squad.

- Big ups to reader Daniel, who’s off to his native Trinidad this week. Thanks for making it out every week to watch our beloved, win, lose or draw. You’ll be missed here in New York!

The Valencia fans are out there. We just need to find them! If you’re in New York, make sure to come out for a match. It’d be great to meet you! AMUNT!!

Category: Team News

Tags: Team News

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First Game in the Books

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